As I recently mentioned, I’m well behind on my monthly roundups. However, let’s just consider this belated October installment an early Christmas gift. (By that logic, I’m actually ahead of the game.)
Anyway, I believe that Buddy the Elf would totally support me sharing these posts guaranteed to make you smile. Enjoy. If you need me, I’ll be enjoying selections from the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. Continue reading
Today’s mischief is all mine, not the dog’s… I confess that I’m far behind in sharing my monthly post roundups. Today, I’m bringing you the best from September… these posts are guaranteed to put a smile on your face: Continue reading
It’s time for some Friday linkage… but first, I have a special treat to share with you. I’m honored to have a guest post on Grouchy Puppy today. It’s called “5 Things You Shouldn’t Say to a Senior Dog Owner” – head over there and check it out!
Now, to the links:
Continuing on the TV theme song theme (yup, I said it), I’m sure you’ll understand why I couldn’t resist sharing today’s video:
Punny!
(Bonus TV theme song – last week, I shared the Game of Thrones theme sung by a cat. In the interest of equal time, here’s a canine version.)
I have a special treat for you today… a guest post! In honor of Senior Pet Health Month, Sharon Castellanos from Grouchy Puppy is here to talk about the mental health of senior dogs. Among her other awesome accomplishments, Sharon is Editor-at-Large for LIFE+DOG Magazine and an active Board Member of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS). Sharon has contributed to this blog before (and I’ve even popped up on Grouchy Puppy), and I’m thrilled to have her back today.
One of the things I have noticed with my old dog Cleo is that she is all about the routine and the familiar. She turns to go down the street every morning, never up. Wherever she is, when it is close to dinner time, she moves to lay by the couch in a holding pattern. She knows it is a quick step to her food bowl from there. She is out of the traffic pattern of us cooking, but she has memorized the smells and sounds that say her meal is ready.
Besides her love for food, Cleo also loves her blankets. We bought four fake sherpa-fleece blankets from Costco about five years ago. One for the car, one for each bed, and a spare. They have been work horses and have held up better than the bed we bought on that same Costco trip. Maybe it’s because she is a big girl, but her beds seem to take a beating. Now I know what my sister means when she says that she is “hard on shoes.” No wonder she buys a new pair every other month. We haven’t had to buy Cleo new blankets, and one reason I’m glad, beside the cost savings, is their familiarity to Cleo.
Comfort in the familiar. When I think about Senior Pet Health Month, something that stands out for me now is Cleo’s mental health. She visibly relaxes when she is lying on one of her blankets. To me, with her deteriorating vision, the familiar texture and scent of her blankets seem to soothe her. Sometimes I will find her sleeping in the front room, with only her head buried in her blanket. We learned when she has sleepovers with a friend, to leave a blanket for her to sleep on, or rest on like Switzerland. The familiar blanket is probably more important to her than remembering treats. In places that are “not home”, her blanket is her special neutral zone, and safe place that smells like us and home.
When we go out for her walk in the morning, we equally contribute to the route and pace. I guide her away from curbs and places she might fall into, as well as slow her down before she rams her head into a tree trunk. She tells me if she wants to walk all the way around the block, or instead that she is ready to return home after a quick pee. If she wants to walk half way, then stand and sniff the air for 10 minutes, we do that. My goal is to give her opportunities for enjoyment.
Experiencing Cleo’s aging process helps me understand my parents better. I think of my long distance calls with my 80-year old mother. Half of our conversations involve detailed accounts of her daily routine. She enjoys the familiar and often tells me how much she does not like surprises. I think the calm from her routine helps her mental health, so I encourage her to tell me all about her day. Like with Cleo, I don’t rush her pace or hurry her off the call.
When I see first hand how Cleo sighs, stretches, and dozes off in contentment, because her surroundings are familiar thus relaxing, I’m happy. Cleo can go “off duty” and not worry about protecting us or being watchful. If I can help her mental health by making familiar noises so she knows dinner is ready, I will. If I have to sew the edges of her blankets to keep them from unraveling, thus allowing her to keep them another year, I will. If she wants to walk ten steps, or ten blocks, I will guide her. Caring for an old dog has given me a chance to learn about senior nutrition for the first time, but it has also shown me the importance of watching over Cleo’s mental health.
Loving Cleo the way we do, it is a gift to have this chance to be on guard for her.
Thanks again to Sharon for joining us today! Pop on over to Grouchy Puppy to read more of her work. Now, let’s get this party (by which I mean discussion) started… does your senior dog take comfort in the familiar?
Since I gave you so much homework during Part I of July’s monthly roundup (you know you love your summer reading assignments), I figured I’d wait a bit before sharing the rest of the links. However, it’s time for part 2. (After all, every dog has his day.)
Here are a few more posts that made me smile during the month of July: Continue reading
The other day, I was cleaning and started singing “Whistle While You Work” (as one does), and then it turned into a mash-up of that song and “I’m Late” from Alice in Wonderland. That factoid has very little to do with today’s post, other than the fact that the June monthly roundup is rather late. In any event, here are a few posts that made me smile in the month of June…
Despite my general lack of athletic ability, I’m kind of an Olympics nerd. I really enjoy watching them, so you can bet that tonight I’ll be watching the opening ceremony. The costume craziness is just too good to pass up. (My menu will not be as classy as this one, although I now really want this baking gear.)
Anyway, the torch is on its way, so let’s get to it:
Today’s video is, fittingly, about Olympic athletes and their pets.
Are you excited about the Olympics? What events are you looking forward to watching?
I’m almost a month behind with this monthly roundup… oops! Life has been getting the better of me lately, as you can probably tell. I’ve not been able to get around to as many blogs as I’d like, so here’s hoping I can catch up soon and get the June monthly roundup to you before September.
Anyway, on to the posts! Continue reading
Well, a new month is upon us, which means that it’s time for another monthly roundup. In light of the fact that it’s an April roundup, let’s just say I’m showering you with some awesome blog posts. No umbrella needed. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite posts from the last month:
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| Gratuitous Bellaface! |
And here are nine more!
Last month, I did a post cataloging a few of my favorite posts from January. I shared eight posts. I’m back with another installment, and as you can see, the numbers have increased. I didn’t mean for it to happen – but before I knew it, I had eleven or twelve posts on my list. At that point, the nerd in me decided to aim for some alliteration… so I thought I’d share fourteen. Of course, somehow I ended up with fifteen instead. I could have added more, but the next number that would have allowed for such alliteration would be fifty. Consider yourself lucky.
Anyway, in no particular order, here are fifteen favorites from February…
